10-13-2004, 07:42 AM | #21 |
Enting
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There definitely is a parellel between the two... I hadn't thought of that. Although Boromir was obviously much more of a "fighter" than Paris, I think the more important side is Faramir/Hector as the rightous war-hating warrior.
Also, Priam/Denethor is a bit of a comparison, as in old guy-king-father... Although Denethor was corrupted in the end by palantir, they would have been very similar... Anyway, good point.
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10-13-2004, 10:45 AM | #22 | ||
Elven Loremaster
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10-13-2004, 10:57 AM | #23 | |||
Fëanorophobic
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10-13-2004, 11:08 AM | #24 |
The Insufferable
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[QUOTE=inked]Passion is as passion does. You will not contend that the two passions are unalike successfully. Regardless of the mitigating causes in both cases the passionate desire to excess was the evil. The desires were wrongly acted upon in each case.[QUOTE]
I agree that both characters performed, or attempted to perform, acts of great evil. Paris by kidnapping another man's wife, and Boromir by attempting to steal the ring. However, I do contend that, while both did evil, the circumstances were such that I do not think Boromir can be said to have been evil. He was a noble man inflamed to perform an evil act by a power outside his control (the ring itself, which no man on earth could have resisted for long). Paris, on the other hand, was driven only by his own lusts. To try and put it more clearly, I feel that: Boromir was a noble man who was influenced by a power which he could not contend with, and through a selfless wish to help his people fell into the temptation to do an evil act. Paris was a man who's selfish desires led him to do an evil act with no regard for the consequences to himself and others. In this, I consider him to have been an evil man (He willfully and knowingly did something which was morally wrong, and showed no regret afterwards) I do not think that the desire to use the ring and help the Gondorians was equally evil to the desire to have sex with a hot chick at all costs. I really don't. Maybe I'm missing something here. So, while both kidnapping Helen and stealing the ring were evil acts, that is, were both morally wrong and caused pain, I think it requires a look at the context of the act to determine whether the indivudal as a whole is morally bad. Of course you can always go the route of saying that anyone who does evil is evil... there's certainly a case for that to be made.
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10-13-2004, 12:42 PM | #25 | |
Elf Lord
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Quote: But I think as humans we have gradations of evil that are useful descriptors as we tend not to view lying on the same plane as murder - though both may result in the death of persons. Humans tend to make artificial distinctions. Even if we agree that there are gradiations of evil, the fact remains that an act is evil regardless of the degree. Evil is a quality, not a quantity. Pesky things, arguments; much like definitions, don't you agree?
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10-13-2004, 03:33 PM | #26 | |
Fëanorophobic
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10-14-2004, 12:42 PM | #27 |
Fëanorophobic
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Just realised, if Faramir is Hector, then the Witch King is Achilles
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10-14-2004, 02:05 PM | #28 | |
Swan-Knight of Dol Amroth
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10-14-2004, 02:12 PM | #29 | |
Fëanorophobic
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Seriously, though, do you think a discussion thread on the Iliad would be interesting? |
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10-14-2004, 02:15 PM | #30 |
High King at Annuminas Administrator
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I'm fond of saying that every analogy breaks down at some point. I think we just found that point.
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10-14-2004, 05:55 PM | #31 | ||
The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator
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You may have been unable to establish a complete analogy between the Illiad and LoTR (let's face the thruth: J.R.R. Tolkien was just to clever and imaginative for that) but I think you've certainly established that the Illiad was a source of inspiration for the Professor.
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10-15-2004, 08:04 AM | #32 | |
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